Weekly message: A qualified King (2 Samuel 16-19; Luke 6:22-23,28, 32-37) By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

 Weekly message: A qualified King (2 Samuel 16-19; Luke 6:22-23,28, 32-37)

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce    2/17/2024

Christian Arts Ministries; Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 

 

Cultivating a forgiving spirit is a very real problem that every one of us wrestles with. Today, in our society, we need a heart of full forgiveness and grace in our family relationship, in our work, school, and church relationship. My friends, have you ever pondered, what element to be a good king, a good leader, and good disciples of Jesus Christ in order to resolve the conflict? And lead our nations to a better place to live? What do we need? Today, let us discover the 2 Samuel chapters 16 to chapter 19 to renew our vision. What caused King David to be called a man of God’s own heart? A qualified King, there are four characteristics 1) Christlike grace. 2) Complete forgiveness. 3) A soft heart. 4) An awareness of our own failures and our own need for forgiveness.  

When his son Absalom conspired against him and usurped the throne, David fled from his own son, and ran for life barefoot, and a broken heart. The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on toward the desert.

Ø  Shimei son of Gera, he cursed and pelted David with stones

As King David approached Bahurim, a man from the same clan as Saul’s family came out from there. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he cursed as he came out. He pelted David and all the king’s officials with stones, though all the troops and the special guard were on David’s right and left. As he cursed, Shimei said,

“Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel!  The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in whose place you have reigned. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!” (2Samuel 16:5-8)

Shimei has not only thrown rocks and cursed David; he has lied three times in his personal attack. David now has a choice; he can be offended, get mad, become resentful and take revenge on this man. But instead of fighting back, King David was incredibly calm, and acknowledged “the Lord’s in it”. He didn’t get offended, and never took it personally, even didn’t even yell! David may have seen a touch of his old immature self in Shimei as those rocks came whizzing by. He responded totally differently with the time when he was young and faced Nabal’s rejection. In this time, he has grown older, after he committed adultery with Bathsheba, the Lord sent Nathan to comfort him, and he repented his sin, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt. The son born to you will die.” (2 Samuel 12:13-14).

King David suffered a child lost and a dysfunctional family, his daughter Tama was raped by his own son Amnon, Amnon was murdered by his son Absalom, and his wives was taken advantage of in public by Absalom, his own son. Absalom conspired against him and expropriated the throne. He was in the pit of destruction, and in the deepest heartbroken consequences. In this desperate moment, with guilt crushing on top of David, in the pit of self-deprecating thoughts, a man named Shimei came out of nowhere to add to his misery. Shimei was the kind of person who kicks you while you’re on your face, down and out. You’re at the very ultimate, lowest pit and along come a Shimei. 

Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now, and cut off his head.” ( 2 Samuel 16:9).

But the king said, “What do you and I have in common, you son of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David, who can ask, ‘why do you do this?’”

  David then said to Abishai and all his officials, “My son, who is of my own flesh, is trying to take my life, how much more, then, this Benjamite! Leave him alone; let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today.” (2 Samuel 16:10-12).

So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him, cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt. The king and all the people with him arrived at their destination exhausted and there he refreshed himself.

The king commanded Joab, Abishai and Ittai, be gentle with the young man Absalom for his sake. There the army of Israel was defeated by David’s men, and the casualties that day were great-twenty thousand men. The battle spread out over the whole countryside and the forest claimed more lives that day than the sword. Now Absalom happened to meet David’s men. Absalom is defeated and dies. Absalom was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's hair got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going. Joab took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. And ten of Joab’s armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him. (2 Sam.18:5-15).

    It’s not God’s will for Absalom to sit on the throne, even though he intended to take over his father David’s throne. Absalom died and was removed from the throne, although David didn’t want Absalom to die. The people are turning back to King David as their leader. He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. They sent word to the king, “Return, you and all your men.”(2Sam.19:14). Then the king returned and went as far as Jordan. They moved his household goods back over the Jordan to Jerusalem, in a hurry to get the rightful king back on the throne. It’s a day of coronation. David had come from the lowest level back up to the highest mountaintop and he was rejoicing as he is about to be enthroned once again as the king.

Ø  Shimei asked for forgiveness

Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, hurried down with the men of Judah to meet King David. Shimei has not only thrown rocks and cursed David; he has lied three times in his personal attack. At this point, with him were a thousand Benjamites, along with Ziba, the steward of Saul’s household, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed to Jordan, where the king was. They crossed at the ford to take the king’s household over and to do whatever he wished.  When Shimei son of Gera crossed the Jordan, he fell prostrate before the king and said to him,

“May my lord not hold me guilty.  Do not remember how your servant did wrong on the day my lord the king left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. For I, your servant know that I have sinned, but today I have come here as the first of the whole house of Joseph to come down and meet my lord the king.” (2 Samuel 19:18-20)’

The Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the Lord’s anointed.” (2 Sam.19:21).

David replied, “What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?” So the king said to Shimei, “You shall not die.” And the king promised him on oath. (2 Sam.19:22-23).

King David regained the favor, honor, and loyalty from the Shimei, the house of Joseph. (The tribe of Ephraim the offspring of Joseph’s son) a large tribe and representative of the ten northern tribes because of his soft heart and forgiveness to Shimei. King David had his own failures, God forgave him, and he understood the importance of forgiveness, therefore, he said to Shimei, “ You shall not die” . The statement was the same as the Lord said to him through Nathan, God’s forgiveness transformed King David’s heart to forgive Shimei. David became a man of God’s own heart. 

Ø  Theological principles  of forgiveness in New Testament

Jesus’ sermon about the characteristics of disciples, he said,

 “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because great is your reward in heaven, for that is how their fathers treated the prophet…But I tell you who hear me, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that? If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive and you will be forgiven.(Luke 6:22-23,28, 32-37).

 King David had done exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you, forgive and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:27-28,37). He is qualified as King to lead Israel because of a heart of forgiveness. Nathan said, “Your sin has been taken away, you will not die”, the Lord transformed him into a soft heart to forgive Shimei who cursed him, stoned him and accused him. He became a man, heart of God’s own heart. And he said to Shimei with the same words, “you will not die” while Abishai son of Zeruiah said, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the Lord’s anointed.” (2 Sam.19:21). Therefore, complete forgiveness is an element to be a good king and disciples. And be aware of our own failures and our own need for forgiveness. Putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes often helps us objectify their reaction.

      Moreover, we need Christlike grace. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, he looked at His accusers and prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).  This is how our Lord Jesus Christ viewed His enemies. Savior Jesus Christ came to save the sinners. Grace is God giving Himself in full acceptance to someone who does not deserve it and can never earn it and will never be able to repay. This is what makes the story of King David and Mephibosheth (Jonathan’s son) so memorable. A strong and famous king stoops down and reaches out. King David said to Mephibosheth, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness (grace) to you for the sake of your father Jonathan and will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul: and you shall eat at my table regularly.” (2 Samuel 9:7). That’s the way it is with the Father, our conditional problem with sin is a continual reminder of His grace. Every time we claim that verse, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins ad to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
Jesus Christ chose us in our sinful and rebellious condition and in grace took us from a barren place and gave us a place at His table and in love allowed His tablecloth of grace to cover our sin. 

 Repentance and forgiveness lead Christians to live a victorious life and overcome the enemy. My friends, when Jesus invites you to come to the table of mercy, or come to the Lord’s feast table, don’t reject Him, no matter how much wrong you have done, how unworthy you are? How unclean you think you are? Come, Jesus provides you the tablecloth of grace to cover your sin.

 

Bibliography,

 

           Dyer, Wayne, Your ErroneousZones  New York: Avon Books, 1976.

      

          King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

   

          Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.

    

         Swindoll, Charles R. David. Dallas, TX: Word Publishing, Inc, 1997.